C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal” aired live from USIP’s headquarters on April 10. USIP President Richard Solomon, along with Andrew Wilder and Steven Heydemann, discussed the Institute’s cost-effective role in conflict zones across the globe.

The U.S. Institute of Peace supplements the work of the Departments of State and Defense, Dr. Solomon said. For example, where the State Department is focused on official state-to-state dialogue, USIP facilitates dialogue among non-state actors, a key aspect of preventing and resolving conflict in today’s global environment.

Wilder provided analysis of recent developments in Afghanistan and spoke of USIP’s efforts to focus policy attention on the 2014 Afghan presidential elections. The last round of elections, he said, were problematic with widespread reports of irregularities, which delegitimized the results. By planning now, Wilder said, there are good prospects for the elections. A questionable election at the same time international forces are withdrawing would be a “recipe for disaster,” he said.

Heydemann provided an update on the situation in Syria. “Syria has failed to live up to the low expectations of the U.N. peace plan,” he said during the final segment of the live broadcast. “We have seen the Syrian government agree to peace proposals before, and it has repeatedly shown it has no intention to honor any commitment it made to implement the plans.” The ongoing violence, even in the face of international pressure and a U.N. plan, “tells us the Assad regime is using international efforts to buy time while it continues to crush the uprisings. | View the full entire program

Explore Further

• Ongoing Syria Violence Dashes Hopes for Peace Plan
  News Feature by Liz Harper
• USIP President Testifies on the Value of Peacebuilding
  Congressional Testimony by Richard H. Solomon
• Global Change, Peacebuilding and USIP
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